Parking device for motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

A parking device for motor vehicles to facilitate and expedite the parallel parking operation especially when the space available between two parked vehicles is not abundant. The device is typically operated after the car has entered the parking spot diagonally so that one of the front wheels is touching the sidewalk curb. The device is normally mounted on the bottom surface of a motor vehicle, preferably in the rear part of a motor vehicle. The device consists essentially of a powered wheel that is lowered to the ground and it is further pushed down to raise the rear part of a motor vehicle until the rear wheels are no longer in contact with the ground. The lowered wheel, perpendicular to the other wheels of the motor vehicle, is then powered to turn in either directions to cause the rear part of the motor vehicle to move toward the sidewalk until the motor vehicle is parallel to the sidewalk curb and mostly aligned with the other parked vehicles. The device is also facilitating and expediting the exiting from the parking space by moving the rear part of the motor vehicle away from the sidewalk curb. The powered wheel is then raised to allow the rear wheels of the motor vehicle to get in contact with the ground and the powered wheel is further raised to reach a resting position on the bottom surface of the motor vehicle, possibly with its axel perpendicular to the bottom surface of the vehicle to insure adequate clearance between the bottom of the vehicle and the ground. The invention comprises a related device to lock the wheels of the motor vehicle during the use of the parking device.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is claiming foreign priority on the related Italianpatent application number MI2006A000788 filed on Apr. 21, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a parking aid device for motorvehicles.

2. Background Art

It is a known fact that parking motor vehicles in confined spaces isoften very difficult and time consuming. When the vehicle is largeand/or the parking space is not abundant, numerous manoeuvres arerequired to achieve proper parking. The number of manoeuvres increasesin the case of parallel parking along the sidewalk, when parking betweentwo other parked vehicles. The time required to park can considerablyincrease when parking in narrow roads and where the traffic is intense.This situation leads to hurried parking manoeuvres with possible damagesto the parking motor vehicle as a result of collisions with the othervehicles already parked. In view of the state of the art, the object ofthe present invention is to provide a parking aid device for motorvehicles that makes parking easier and quicker.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, said object is achieved by a parkingdevice for motor vehicles having a front and a rear part both of whichwith at least one wheel, said parking device comprising at least onewheel and movement means adapted to move the wheel from an idle positionin which it is adjacent with the bottom of the motor vehicle downwardsto a operating position in which it is moved away from the bottom of themotor vehicle until the at least one wheel of the rear or front part ofthe motor vehicle lifts off from the ground, said wheel of the parkingdevice having at said operating position a rotation axis substantiallyparallel to the bottom of the motor vehicle and said parking devicecomprising means for moving the said at least one wheel of the parkingdevice for the rotation of the same.

The parking device according to the invention finds its best applicationin case of parallel parking along the sidewalk between two cars alreadyparked. In this case, it will be necessary to enter the parking areadiagonally with the front part of the motor vehicle positioned so as totouch the pavement with a front wheel and a short distance from theother already-parked motor vehicle. In this position, the gear and brakewill have to be disengaged and the parking device will be started androtated to the work position and lowering the device's wheel until therear wheel of the motor vehicle are raised from the ground and thedevice's wheel turns towards the sidewalk until the car is aligned withthe other two vehicles already parked.

To exit from the parking space, the reverse operation will be performed,meaning the parking device will be rotated to the work position, thedevice's wheel will be lowered until the rear wheels of the motorvehicle are raised from the ground, and the device's wheel will turnaway from the sidewalk to allow to manoeuvre the motor vehicle easilyout of the parking space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details and the advantages of the present invention will appearclear from the following detailed description of its practicalembodiments, illustrated by way of, but not limited to, examples on theattached drawings, on which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the parking device fitted to a motor vehiclein accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the parking device in FIG. 1 inaccordance with the line II-II;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the parking device that switches froman idle position to a work position;

FIG. 4 shows a motor vehicle to which the parking device of FIG. 1 hasbeen fitted;

FIG. 5 shows details of the parking device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a parking device according to a secondembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a detail of the device of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front view of a parking device according to a thirdembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 shows a hooking device related to the parking device according toa variation of the invention embodiments;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a hooking device related to the parking deviceaccording to another variant of the embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are front schematic views of a parking device accordingto a fourth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION OR OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be describedhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. With referenceto FIGS. 1-5, a parking device 100 for motor vehicles is shown accordingto the present invention. Said device is normally fitted underneath amotor vehicle and particularly underneath the rear part of the motorvehicle, as indicated by FIG. 4 which schematically shows a motorvehicle 200 equipped with the parking device 100 attached to the bottom202 of the motor vehicle near the rear wheels 201.

The device comprises a frame 1 having guides 2 sliding on metal bars 3hinged in 4 to a fixed part 5 secured to the bottom of the motorvehicle.

On the frame 1 are fitted a wheel 6 protruding from the frame 1 andhinged to the frame and a motor 7 for turning the wheel 6; said motorcan consist, for example, of an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.

To the frame 1 are connected in 8 pistons 9, of the hydraulic orpneumatic or electromechanical type, attached to supports 10 to thebottom of the motor vehicle and hinged in 11.

In the resting position A, the parking device is aligned with the bottomof the motor vehicle, as can be seen on FIG. 3. When the motor vehiclereaches a parking area, the user inside the vehicle operates a controlto start the parking device, for example an electric control.

This way, the parking device rotates to a work position B by an anglesubstantially the same as a perpendicular angle of the frame 1 aroundthe points 4 by way of the pistons 9 attached to the supports 10.

The pistons 9 are subsequently started using the same control or bymeans of another control. The pistons 9 move downwards the frame 1 whichbears the wheel 6 by sliding of same on the bars 3. This way, the wheel6 touches the ground and then it is pushed further to raise the rearpart of the motor vehicle by a distance Z so that the rear wheels arelifted off the ground to reach position C. The pistons 9 may be ofcommercially available type.

A second timed manual control operates the motor 7 to turn the wheel 6to the right or the left to cause the movement to the right or left ofthe motor vehicle, more specifically the rear part of the motor vehicle.

Once the motor vehicle has been parked, the previous controls aredisengaged and the parking device returns to the initial, restingposition A.

The hinged point 4 of the frame 1 is preferably arranged lower, by adistance X, with respect to the hinge point 11 of the pistons 9 to thesupports 10. Preferably, the same distance X exists between the samepoints with respect to the longitudinal axis P of the motor vehicle towhich the device is fitted. The two distances X ensure a sufficienttorque required by the pistons 9 to rotate the frame 1 from the idleposition A to the work position B.

The FIG. 5 shows in greater detail the sliding bars 3 and the fixedparts 5. The sliding bars have a curved part for rotation around thehinged point 4 with the fixed parts 5.

The electric motor 7 could be driven by the same motor-vehicle battery.

FIG. 6 shows a parking device according to a second embodiment of theinvention. The parts identical to those of the device in FIG. 1 will beindicated by the same reference numbers. Said device comprises the wheel6 hinged on the frame 1; the latter comprises two supporting sides 110and 111 hinged on the axle of the wheel 6 and connected to two bushes400 sliding on an axle 401. The bushes are connected to the hydraulic orpneumatic or electromechanical piston 402 which move them, the one withrespect to the other, on the axle 401. The rotation of the frame 1 fromthe resting position A (shown by an unbroken line in FIG. 6), in whichthe frame 1 is substantially parallel to the bottom of the motorvehicle, to the work position B (broken line in the FIG. 6), in whichthe frame 1 is substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the motorvehicle, is ensured by a pin 403, attached to the axle 401, on whichslides a cavity 404 made on at least one bush 400. The shape of thecavity 404 and the sliding of the cavity 404 on the pin 403, as bettershown in FIG. 7, when the bush 400 is moved longitudinally by the piston402, determine the rotation of the frame 1 and consequently its movementfrom the rest position A to the work position B. A further movement ofpistons 402 permits, by means of a scissors-like movement of thesupporting sides 110 and 111 of the frame 1, causes the movement of thewheel 6 downwards to lift the rear or front part of the motor vehicle bysuch a distance that the rear wheels are raised from the ground,obtaining the position C.

In the event of a motor vehicle that has a compartment able to containthe parking device in FIG. 6, the mechanism of the cavity 404 sliding onthe pin 403 is no longer necessary to produce the rotation of the frame1.

FIG. 8 shows a parking device according to a third embodiment of theinvention. Parts identical to those of the device in FIG. 1 will beshown with the same reference numbers. Unlike the parking device in FIG.1, the parking device in FIG. 8 has the frame that can rotate pivotingaround the axle 503 on a body frame 500 that can be rotated of ninetydegrees with respect to the axle 502 connected to the bottom of themotor vehicle. The frame 1 can therefore rotate, by pivoting the bodyframe 500 around the axle 502, from a resting position A in which theframe itself is substantially parallel to the bottom of the motorvehicle to a work position B in which the frame 1 is substantiallyperpendicular to the bottom of the motor vehicle. The pneumatic,hydraulic or electromechanical pistons 501 produce both the rotation ofthe frame 1 from the position A to the position B and the downwardmovement of the wheel 6, by causing the frame 1 to pivot around the axle503 of the body frame 500, to lift the rear or front part of the motorvehicle by such a distance that the rear wheels are raised from theground, obtaining the position C.

FIG. 9 shows a hooking device 600 related to the parking device inagreement with a variation of the embodiments of the present invention.The hooking device allows the wheels of the motor vehicle to remainblocked during the operation of the parking device. The hooking device600 comprises a first hook 601 connected to the axle shaft of the rearor front wheels of the motor vehicle and a second hook 602 connected tothe bottom of the motor vehicle, pivoting around the axle 603. Thehooking device 600 comprises means 604 which, when the parking device ismoved from position A to position B, operate on the hook 602 to allowthe coupling with the hook 601. This way, during the time the parkingdevice takes to reach position C, the wheels of the motor vehicle remainblocked and a slight downward movement of the wheel 6 is needed to allowthe rear or the front wheels to lift off the road surface. The means 604can be made up of a steel braid with a flexible sheath.

FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show a hooking device 800 as part of the parkingdevice according to another variant of the embodiments of the invention.The hooking device 800 comprises a rack 801 coupled to the axle shaft ofthe rear or front wheels of the car and a guide 802 sliding on the rackand anchored to the bottom surface of the motor vehicle; a toothed part803 is brought in a sliding way by guides 830 on the guide 802. Thehooking device 800 comprises means 804 connected with the toothed part803 which, when the parking device is activated, act on the same toothedpart for allowing the coupling of the toothed part with the rack 801; insuch a way, when the parking device reaches the position C, the wheelsof the car remain blocked and it is necessary only a small movementdownwards of the wheel of the parking device to allow the lifting of thefront or rear wheels of the motor vehicle from the ground. The means 804can be constituted by a lock 808 provided with a spring 809 and aflexible wire 810 allowing the compression of the spring 809; a tractionof the wire 810 allows the compression of the spring 809 and thecoupling of the toothed part 803 with the rack 801 while the release ofthe spring 809 allows the uncoupling of the toothed part 803 from therack 801.

FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show of a parking device for cars according to afourth embodiment of the invention. The parking device comprises a wheel701 swivelling hinged at G with two plates 702 and 703 which areswivelling coupled with a plate 704 secured to the bottom surface of themotor vehicle; the wheel is arranged orthogonal to the bottom surface ofthe car, with its rotation axis G parallel to the bottom surface of thecar. The plates 702 and 703 and the wheel 701 are moved by means 705allowing the movement of the wheel from the resting position A next tothe bottom surface of the motor vehicle to a position B away from thebottom surface of the motor vehicle. The vertical movement means 705comprise, for example, an oleo-dynamic or a screw shaft 706 comprisingarms 707 and 708 swivelling hinged with plates 709, 710, for example,partially rotation rocker levers, which in turn are swivelling hingedwith the plates 702 and 703 at the axles E and with the support 704 atthe axles D. The rocker levers 709, 710 allow the coupling of the plates702 and 703 with the fixed plate 704.

The cylinder 706, by means of an electric control operated by a suitablepush button switch, controls the pulling of the arms 707 and 708 forbringing next to each other and consequently it controls the reductionof the distance of the points E of the swivelling coupling of the arms707, 708 with the rocker levers 709, 710 and with the plates 702, 703.The approach of the coupling points E of the rocker levers 709, 710determines a rotation of the rocker levers at the points D and amovement downwards of the cylinder 706. These movements cause thepivoting of the plates 702, 703 around the shaft G and by consequencethe lowering of the wheel 701 toward the ground, to obtain the positionB and obtaining a lifting of the motor vehicle.

When the lifting of the motor vehicle is completed, an electric oroleo-dynamic motor 7, typically attached to one of the plates 702, 703,causes the rotation of the wheel 701 to move the motor vehicle in thedesired direction.

At the end of the parking operation of the motor vehicle, a suitablecontrol allows the inverse stroke of the arms 707, 708 inside thecylinder 706 causing them to move away from one another. This actioncauses the points E to move away from one another, the rotation of therocker levers at the points D and the rotation of the plates 702, 703 atthe point G for bringing back the wheel 701 from the operation positionB to the resting position A.

The device illustrated in FIG. 12 is actually equipped with twooleo-dynamic cylinders and with four rocker levers hinged at four pointsD symmetrical with respect to the plates 702 and 703.

The various embodiments described above are provided by way ofillustration only and should not be construed to limit the invention.Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modificationsand changes that may be made to the present invention without followingthe example embodiments and applications illustrated and describedherein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of thepresent invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

1. A parking device to facilitate the parking operation of motorvehicles having a front and a rear part both of which with at least onewheel (201), said parking device comprises at least one wheel (6, 701)and movement means (9; 402; 501; 705) to move the wheel from an idleposition (A) in which it is adjacent with the bottom of the motorvehicle downwards to a operating position (B) in which it is moved awayfrom the bottom of the motor vehicle until at least one wheel of therear or front part of the motor vehicle lifts off the ground (C, B),said wheel of the parking device having at said operating position arotation axis substantially parallel to the bottom of the motor vehicleand said parking device comprising means (7) for moving the said atleast one wheel (6, 701) of the parking device for the rotation of thesame.
 2. A parking device according to claim 1, wherein said movementmeans (9; 402; 501) move the wheel (6) from an idle position (A) inwhich the rotation axis of the wheel is substantially perpendicular tothe bottom of the motor vehicle to the operating position (B).
 3. Aparking device according to claim 1, wherein said wheel movement means(7) are an electric motor.
 4. A parking device according to claim 1,wherein said movement means (9) are hydraulic means.
 5. A parking deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein said movement means (9) are pneumaticmeans.
 6. A parking device according to claim 1, wherein said movementmeans (9) are electromechanical means.
 7. A parking device according toclaim 2, comprising a frame (1) suitable for carrying at least one wheel(6), said frame being sliding on bars (3) substantially vertical in saidwork position (B) by means of said movement means (9) until at least onewheel of the rear or front part of the motor vehicle lifts off the roadsurface.
 8. A parking device according to claim 2, comprising a frame(1) suitable for carrying at least one wheel (6), said frame being ableto pivot on a body (500) in said work position (B) and being turned bysaid movement means (501) until at least one wheel of the rear or frontpart of the motor vehicle lifts off the road surface.
 9. A parkingdevice according to claim 8, wherein said body (500) is pivoting aroundan axle (502) integral with the bottom of the motor vehicle to allow therotation of the parking device from the idle position (A) to the workposition (B).
 10. A parking device according to claim 2, comprising aframe (1) suitable for carrying at least one wheel (6), said framecomprising a first (110) and a second (111) part pivoting at said wheeland being connected to said movement means (402) of scissors type (400)so that, by means of a scissors-like movement, said at least one wheelof the device (C) is lowered until at least one wheel of the rear orfront part of the motor vehicle lifts off the road surface.
 11. Aparking device according to claim 10, wherein said first and said secondpart are linked to bushes (4) sliding on an axle (401) integral with thebottom of the motor vehicle, at least one of said bushes comprising acavity (403) sliding on a pin (403) of the axle (401) in such a way asto determine the rotation of said device from the idle position (A) tothe work position (B).
 12. A parking device according to claim 1,comprising a device (6, 800) for hooking an axle shaft of at least onewheel of the rear or front part of the motor vehicle to the bottom ofthe motor vehicle, said hooking device (600, 800) being operated byoperating means (604, 804) in the operating position (B).
 13. A parkingdevice according to claim 1, wherein said means (7) for moving the wheelare a hydraulic motor.
 14. A parking device according to claim 1,comprising a frame (702, 703) adapted to bring said at least one wheel(701), said frame comprising a first (702) and a second (703) part whichare swivelling hinged with said wheel, swivelling coupled with saidmovement means (705) and swivelling connected with a support plate (704)attached to the bottom of the motor vehicle, said movement means (705)being adapted to determine a rotation of the two parts of the frame atthe point of hinging with the wheel for forming the lowering of said atleast one wheel of the device until the at least one wheel of the rearor front part of the motor vehicle lifts off the ground (B).
 15. Aparking device according to claim 14, wherein said movement means (705)are comprising an oleo-dynamic cylinder (706), two arms (707, 708)partially sliding inside the cylinder and hinged with the two parts ofthe frame (702, 703) and with two rocker levers (709, 710) swivellingcoupled with the support plate (704) fixed with the bottom of the motorvehicle so that a movement next to each other of the arms inside thecylinder determines a lowering of the wheel and a movement away fromeach other of the arms determines an elevation of the wheel from theoperating position to the idle position.
 16. A parking device accordingto claim 15, characterised by comprising means to activate saidoleo-dynamic cylinder.
 17. A parking device according to claim 12,wherein said hooking means (800) comprise a rack (801) anchored to theshaft of the rear or front wheels of the motor vehicle, a guide (802)able to slide on the rack and connected to the planar of the motorvehicle, a toothed part (803) able to slide brought by means of furtherguides (830) on said guide (802), said activation means (804) beingcoupled with the toothed part (803) which, when the parking device isactivated, act on the same toothed part to allow its coupling with therack (801).
 18. A motor vehicle having a front and a rear part both withat least one wheel (201) and comprising the parking device according toclaim 1, said device being fitted on the bottom of the rear part of themotor vehicle.